Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

Jonathan Cott met John Lennon in 1968 and was friends with him and Yoko Ono until John's death in 1980. He has kept in touch with Yoko since that time, and is one of the small group of writers who understands her profoundly positive influence on Lennon. This deeply personal book recounts the course of those friendships over the decades and provides an intimate look at two of the most astonishing cultural figures of our time. And what Jonathan Cott has to say and tell will be found nowhere else.

Review:

"A contributing editor to Rolling Stone since its inception, Jonathan Cott (Conversations with Glenn Gould, Dylan, Forever Young, etc.) met myriad musicians, but few — if any — made as deep an impression on him as John Lennon. An unabashed lover of the Beatles, Cott, in September 1968, not only got a private audience with Lennon, he tagged along to one of the recording sessions for what would become the Beatles' 'White Album.' Cott recounts his many conversations, both on and off the record, with Lennon. Cott's many discussions and interviews (including one conducted just three days before Lennon's assassination, reproduced here in its entirety) reveal the two rhapsodically rapping about the meaning of 'Strawberry Fields,' dealing with fame, Yoko's alleged role in the breakup of the Beatles ('I think that each of the Beatles was too strong and tough an individual to have been influenced by me in any way' is her response), and the impact of psychologist Arthur Janov's primal therapy treatment on the duo's relationship and work together. What emerges is a picture of a warm, considerate artist who was generous with both his time and talents, who continued to gravitate toward work that resonated with him and his partner, rather than his bank account or even the public at large. Cott does a solid job of creating intimacy between Lennon and the reader, something fans of the much-missed musician will likely relish. Agent, Steve Wasserman. (Feb.)" Publishers Weekly Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Jonathan Cott is a contributing editor at Rolling Stone and has written for the The New York Times and The New Yorker. He is the author of more than sixteen books including Dylan (a biography), Conversations with Glenn Gould, Stockhausen: Conversations with the Composer, and Back to a Shadow in the Night: Music Writings and Interviews—1968-2001 and is the co-editor of The Ballad of John and Yoko. He lives in New York City.

"Publishers Weekly Review"
by Publishers Weekly,
"A contributing editor to Rolling Stone since its inception, Jonathan Cott (Conversations with Glenn Gould, Dylan, Forever Young, etc.) met myriad musicians, but few — if any — made as deep an impression on him as John Lennon. An unabashed lover of the Beatles, Cott, in September 1968, not only got a private audience with Lennon, he tagged along to one of the recording sessions for what would become the Beatles' 'White Album.' Cott recounts his many conversations, both on and off the record, with Lennon. Cott's many discussions and interviews (including one conducted just three days before Lennon's assassination, reproduced here in its entirety) reveal the two rhapsodically rapping about the meaning of 'Strawberry Fields,' dealing with fame, Yoko's alleged role in the breakup of the Beatles ('I think that each of the Beatles was too strong and tough an individual to have been influenced by me in any way' is her response), and the impact of psychologist Arthur Janov's primal therapy treatment on the duo's relationship and work together. What emerges is a picture of a warm, considerate artist who was generous with both his time and talents, who continued to gravitate toward work that resonated with him and his partner, rather than his bank account or even the public at large. Cott does a solid job of creating intimacy between Lennon and the reader, something fans of the much-missed musician will likely relish. Agent, Steve Wasserman. (Feb.)" Publishers Weekly Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

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